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(NoModell) W. E. WILSON.

HOE. No; 248,543. Patented Oct. 18,1881.

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f @WM %W IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM E. WILSON, OF PALMETTO, GEORGIA.

HOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,543, dated October 18, 1881.

Application filed April 14, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palmetto, in the county of Campbell and State of Gergia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a hoe and hoe attachment; and the novelty consists in the construction of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to furnish a device which will accommodate and secure a reversible hoe or the like and allow a change of tools upon a common handle.

In carrying out the invention I employ an ordinary handle, which is rigidly secured at its lower end in an inclosing shank or socket having securing means and a re-enforced portion, in which is formed ratchets having side guides, as shown, and having, also, a holdingslot to receive the recessed upper portion of a hoe. The hoe is perforated to receive a hook formed upon a socketed elbow, the socket being provided with a female thread, in which operates a male thread upon a screw-bolt which turns loosely in an aperture in the handleshank and has a thumbcap. The other arm of the elbow is adapted, by means of a wedge end, to engage in the ratchets formed in the re-enforced portion of the shank-socket.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partially in section; and Fig. 2, a bottomplan view with a portion of the hoe removed.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the hoe-handle, the lower end ofwhich, a, is adapted to be secured by means a in the socket of the shank B, having perforated neck I), and head. B, having slot b Through the perforation in the neck I) operates a threaded bolt, 0, having a thumb-cap, c, the threaded part of which serves, by means of a threaded socket, d, in an elbow-frame, D, to hold said elbow in arbitrary adjustmentrelatively to the shank.

The shank B has a re-enforced portion, M, provided with transverse ratchets m and ion gitudinal side guides, at.

The elbow D d is provided at one extremity with a hook,f, and at the other with a tooth, f, which engages the ratchets m upon the reenforced portion M of the shank, and the hook f engages a proper opening, h, in the hoeplate H, which has a rectangular recess, h, in the upper edge, the sides of which embrace the head B and the bottom of which is received in the slot b By this construction and arrangement it will be observed that the hoe-plate may be removed at will or reversed, the latter process making the hoe a self-sharpener. The re-enforced portion allows the teeth to be of such depth as is necessary for the purpose, and as the socket is not perforated, all rain or moisture is prevented from coming in contact with the wood and rotting it. At the same time the transverse teeth are more readily cleaned from cloggin g dirt and soil than if the socket were perforated and the said dirt had to be picked out before the holding-pin could be inserted.

While I have described the invention as applied to hoes, it is obvious that rakes, plowblades, and the like may be operated by the same mechanism.

I am aware that removable hoes have been secured to handle-sockets by elbow and other braces secured to each by a hook or pin extremity; but in such cases the socket is perforated and allows ingress of moisture, which tends to rot the handle, and also clogs the perforations with dirt, rendering the insertion of the point difficult. In my invention the socket is left intact, the ratchets will not clog, and the pawl is held against lateral displacement.

What I claim as new is- 1. As a new article of manufacture, the handle A, socketed shank B, having perforated neck I), and slotted head B 12 the hoe-blade H, having aperture h and rectangular recess h, the socketed elbow D (I, having hook f and tooth f, the threaded bolt 0 c, and the rackbar m and guides m upon the re-enforced por- I to prevent the lateral displacement of the part tionMofthehandle-socket,the whole arranged, f, and to avoid the perforation of the socket constructed, and combined to operate as and B, as herein specified.

for the purposes set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 5 2. The socket B, Ire-enforced, asatM, said represence of two witnesses.

enforced portion having transverse teeth or I WILLIAM WILSON.

ratchets m, and provided with the side guides,

m, combined and adapted to serve with the \Vitnesses:

elbow-frame D ff and the hoe, the whole 5 J. O. O. CARLTON, 10 adapted to lock the hoe at any desired angle, l L. W. HARRIS. 

